Message Me

Green Tips for the Office: Eco-Friendly, Sustainable Workplace Ideas

By The corporate world has a huge effect on the environment. Excessive lighting, electricity usage, and wasteful / polluting office supplies are just a few of the areas that can have a strong negative impact. Luckily, for those wondering how to make your office more sustainable, there are plenty of options. Let’s explore some of the most useful green tips for the office that you can start implementing as soon as today!

By Thomas Mensendiek

Green tips to make your office more Eco Friendly!

The corporate world has a huge effect on the environment.

Excessive lighting, electricity usage, and wasteful /
polluting office supplies are just a few of the areas that can have a strong
negative impact.

Luckily, for those wondering how to make your office more
sustainable, there are plenty of options. Let’s explore some of the most useful
green tips for the office that you can start implementing as soon as today!

Get More People Onboard

If you’re going to figure out how to be more green at work,
you’re going to need help, so you should try to get as many of your colleagues
onboard on creating an environmentally friendly office.

Remember, an eco-friendly workplace is a team effort, so
you’ll need to brainstorm environmental initiative ideas together to make sure
that you’re covering as many bases as possible.

Establish an Electricity-Free Rule for Nights

A typical office uses plenty of electricity during the
working hours, so one of the essential green tips for the office is at least
making sure that no power is wasted during the night.

Try to establish a no-electricity-at-night policy at the
office, and make sure you hold people accountable – those that ignore or forget
the rule should have to contribute to an eco-friendly office fund or find
another way to correct their mistake.

Forego Using Bottled Water

Plastic is one of the worst culprits when it comes to
impacting the environment, so one of the better environmental initiative ideas
is to implement a no-plastic-bottles policy in the office.

Since in most larger areas, tap water is perfectly fine, you
could encourage people to bring reusable bottles. And if tap water isn’t an
option, opt for a water cooler and get people to make the switch.

Go Paperless!

When looking at green ideas for the workplace, sometimes you
have to take steps that may cause initial inconveniences.

But in today’s digital age, it’s completely reasonable to
expect your office to minimize the use of paper documents – everything can be
shared and exchanged digitally, and it will not only help the environment but
will also instantly declutter your office.

Reduce Air Conditioning Use

Now, nobody wants to go to a scorching hot office during hot
summer days, so completely eliminating air conditioning is not an option.

But it’s entirely reasonable to not use it every single day
– during milder days, ceiling fans or even open windows can be a great way to
keep the office nice and cool without the need to use a ton of electricity.

Maximize the Use of Natural Light

Natural light is not only crucial to saving the environment,
as it can help to significantly reduce the use of artificial daytime lighting,
but it also is much more pleasing to the eyes and can help people feel better
in the workplace.

Nobody wants to spend their days cooped up in a dark office
that needs to be lit by lights at all times, so make sure that you maximize
your window real-estate and bring in as much natural light as possible.

Encourage Carpooling

While commuting may not be happening in the office, it is
nonetheless one of the worst pollutants of our environment.

Try to organize carpooling groups in your office based on
location so that instead of everyone taking their own car, people can share
rides and reduce their carbon footprint. This tip also has the added bonus of
giving everyone a chance to socialize.

Look into Reusable Energy Sources

There’s only so much you can do about reducing electricity
use in the office – most people still need adequate lighting, computers, and
other devices.

However, you could look into the possibility of supplying
part of your office’s electricity needs through renewable sources like solar
panels.

Have More Plants

One of the simplest green tips for the office is encouraging
people to bring more plants.

They create a more welcoming environment and also purify the
air while offsetting various chemicals.

Recycle Trash

One of the simplest environment tips for your workplace is
to implement a recycling policy so that the waste that is created does not end
up in a landfill.

Even something as simple as a few additional trash cans
specifically for plastic, glass, and organic waste can make a huge difference.

Implement Green Cleaning Policies

Your office may be causing harm to the environment without
even being aware of it by using cleaning practices that rely on harmful
chemicals.

Try to find a cleaning service that uses
environmentally-friendly supplies, as that can have a significant positive
impact on our planet.

Final Words

Starting an eco-friendly initiative at the office may seem
challenging, but even if you start small, over time you can achieve significant
progress and reduce the waste that your office produces.

If you want to find the perfect bright office that will make
going green easier, SF Office Spaces can help – call 1-415-865-6117 or browse
our selection of San Francisco office space. We’ll help you find the perfect
office for your needs!